Liquid dispersing device



March 12, 1935. H. A. BEEKHUIS LIQUID DISPERSING DEVICE Filed May 2,1931 1i Y 7 7 w/m .5. Z 6 6 .l i r B 7. 3 M '1 m H l. :1 a F 8 y m E l rF Patented Mar. 12, 1935 osrlce 1 H v 1,994,239 4 a 7 H v firouinimsrnnsmo DEVICE Herman Albert Beekhuis, Syracuse, N. Y .',"as-

signor to Atmospheric Nitrogen Corporation, New York; N. Y., .a,corporationof New'York T A pplication, May 2', 1931, Serial No. "534,634

Claims. (Cl. 299 63)' V 1 uThis; invention relates to an apparatus for,the

dispersion of liquid materials. More-particularly, this inventionrelates-toan apparatusfor dispersing molten materials into a coolingIgasin the form 5 of substantially'uniform droplets.

[It is desirable toflproduce ,many materials in the form ,ofseparatejgranuleswhich areobtainable by, dispersing a melt, of the sameinto a cooling gas. For example, it has heretoiorebeen proposed tothus-treat fused caustic-alkalies and fertilizer salts suchas urea,ammonium nitrate, etc. It-is desirable that the liquid material bedispersed in substantially uniform particles so that the productobtained will consist of granulesof uniform size, The difficulties' inproducing a highly satisfactory product are enhanced when largequantities of the fused material are to be rapidly, handled on acommercialscale;

It is an object of this invention to'provide .a dispersing devicecapable of rapidly handlinglarge quantities of fluid material .anddispersing it in substantially uniform droplets. ,Other ob: jects of theinvention will in part be obvious and will in part appear. hereinafter.3

The invention comprisesa-a chamber having vertically disposed side wallsarrangedforrotation in a horizontal plane about ayertical axis whichpasses throughthe center of the chamber, the side walls being piercedby, a plurality of ,elongated narrow slots. The invention also comprisesa multiple disc fluid dispersing. device arranged for rotating aboutthecenteraxis of theudiscs. The inventionfurther comprises a fluiddispersing device comprising a plurality of discs forming a centrallylocated chamber 7 and-restricted feed channels leading from-the centralchamber to the surfaces of the discs. Theinvention accordingly comprisesthe-features; of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangementof parts, which will ,be exemplified in; the constructionhereinafter-set forth and the scope of the invention will be indicatedinthe claims. 1

For a fuller understandingof the nature and objects of'theinventionreference shouldbe had to the followingdetailed descriptionrtakeninconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which: if

Fig. leis across section ofanexample of the dispersing device of thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the device shown in Fig. 1 taken along lineII-II.

Referring to the drawing, a shaft 1 carries on its lower extremity acircular disc 2. A plurality of annular discs 3 having thickenedportions at the center of the annuli and aretainer ring 4arecarriedinsuperimposed relationship with disc 2 bYnbDltS 5 which, passthrough the ring and discs, The bottom of each of discs 3 and ofretainer ring 4, is spaced from the topsurface of the disc below bymeans. of annular spacers 6 through'which bolts 5,pa ss. By tighteningdown on the nuts ofbolts 5, ring 4 and plates 3 and 2 are rigidly heldas a unitary structure which may be rotated about shaft 1. In the deviceshown in the drawing, the bottom surfaces '7 of discs 3 diverge from thetop surfaceof the disc below, from the center of thedisc towards theoutside. Thev central thickened portions of discs 2 and 3 and ring 5form a central basket-like container enclosing a chamber 3. The outerportions of discs 2 and 3 constitute a series of horizontal line aboutthe outside of chamber 8. Slots 9 formed by the inner portions of-discs2; and 3 and the bottom ofretainer ring 4,1eadfrom chamber 8 to thesurfaces of the ,outerportions oftheseveral' plates. A delivery spoutlfl cofntrolled by a valve 11 serves to deliver fluid from a vassel 12to the central chamber} of the dispersion device. Shaft 1 of thedispersion device is connected to a motor not shown in the drawing,whereby the device may be rapidly rotated about theshaft as an axis.

. employing the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for the ,dispersion offusedso'dium nitrate, for

.egzample shaft land the discs and retainer ring, carried thereon arerapidly rotated. Fused sodium nitrate is-then continuously passed intochamber 8 from vessel 12 to maintain a level of .the fused material inchamber 8 above the uppermost of slots 9. Under the influence of thecentrifugal force upon the fused material in chamber 8 generated by therotation of the chamber, the fusedsodium nitrate is ejected throughslots 9 to the surfaces of discs 2 and 3,

.ispassed over the surfaces of the discs and from the outermost edgesthereof the molten nitrate is thrown in the form of divided droplets.The

rate of rotation. of shaft 1, the diameter of discs 2 and .3,thedistanceof slots 9 from the center of rotation of ,the device, andthe Width of the since numerous modifications of this particular devicemay be made.

By positioning slots 9 at a relatively short distance from the center ofrotation as compared with the outer edges of the discs, the desired rateof feed of the fluid material to thesurfaces of the discs isaccomplished employing relatively wide slots since the centrifugal forceacting upon,

the liquid to force it throughthe slots increases as the liquid movesaway from the center of ro-,

tation. Thus with the slots near to the center of rotation, theforceacting upon the' liquid to eject it through a slot is relatively smalland a comparatively wide slot 'maybe employed without excessivequantities of liquid passing through the slot. This is of particularadvantage inthat narrow slots have a tendency to be stopped up by solidmaterial which may be carried in the fluid passed therethrough. Afurther advantage is that variations in the rateof rotation of thedevice have a lesser influence in changing the rate of feed of'materialsthrough the slots than when they are at a greater distance from thecenter of rotation.' It will thus beseen that in dispersing fluidmaterial from the device of this invention, the material isfirst'actedupon by centrifugal force to eject it through a means for controllingthe amount of" ejected liquid. The centrifugal force acting upon theejected liquid is then increased as it moves along the surface of discs2 and 3 and under the influence o'f'a relatively high force isthrowr'i'from the discs into the atmosphere surrounding the device.*

It is, of course, evident that-the dispersion device of this inventionis not limited in use to: the

dispersion of fused solids but may be employed in general for thedispersion of liquids. Since certain changes may be made in the aboveconstruction and different embodiments of the invention could be madewithout departing from the the plates, it is not necessary that thedispersing device of this application embody this particular feature. Adispersing device may likewise be constructed in accordance with myinvention wherein the slots governing thefiow; of

liquid from the'ce'ntral chamber discharge directly to the atmospheresurrounding'the device instead of, as described above, to the surface ofdiscs over which the liquid passes and from the edges of which it isthrown outwardly. Furthermore, while in the apparatus particularlydescribed the superimposed discs and ring are each fixed to the nextlower disc and the lowestdisc 1,994,239 v V i is fixed directly to shaft1, the device of this invention may be constructed with the severaldiscs and ring each separately fixed directly to the cular disc and aplurality of vertically disposed annular discs fixed to a shaft saidannular discs surfaces diverging from the top surface of the disc belowfrom the center towards the outside and being spaced from each other andfrom the chamber tolthe surfaces of said discs. i 2. A liquid dispersingdevice comprising a circular discs and a pluralityof vertically disposedhaving horizontal upper surfacesand bottom annular discs havingthickened central portions I of the, annuli, said discs constituting thewalls 20 amount to the surfaces of the discs, shamans for rotating saiddiscs in a horizontal planej r 3. A liquid dispersing device forthe'spraying" of hot melts solidifyingatatmospherictemperaturescomprising a cylindrical containerl with.vertically disposed side walls arranged for ro-. 'tation in a horizontalplane about an axis.

traversingthe container anda plurality of: cir

cumferentially elongated narrow slots of a structurally fixed widthpiercing said'side walls, thewidth of said slots and their distance-fromthe axis about which said side wallsrotateflbing correlated to feedliquid from a body ofthe same 7 maintained within the container throughthe slots at a desired rate; V V Y I 4. A liquid dispersing devicecomprisinga container with vertically disposed side walls arranged forrotation .in a horizontal plane,. a plurality of horizontal fins on theoutside of said container, and circumferentially elongatednarrow' 7slots of a structurally fixed width piercing said side walls and leadingfrom within said container 'to said fins, the outer portions of thesurface width of said fins for a radial distance not substantially lessthan the radial length of said slots being spaced from the surfacesof-adjacent fins a distance materially greater than the distance betweenthe walls of said slots. 5. In a liquid dispersing device for thespraying of hot melts solidifying at atmospheric tem peratures, aplurality of annular discs vertically positionedwith respect to eachother, said discs being arranged for rotation about their central axisand spaced from each other to form elongated narrow slots 'of astructurally fixed width between the central portions ef-the discs,

the width of said slots and their distance from the axis about whichsaid discs rotate beingcors' related to feed liquid from a body of thesame a maintained within the central chamber formed by the annuli ofsaid discs through the slotsat

